Body bolster



Sept. 11, "1934. w. c. HEDGCOCK BODY BOLSTER Filed Sept. 11, 1931 Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES BODY BOLSTEE William C. Hedgcock, Wilmette, 111., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 11, 1931, Serial No. 562,213

18 Claims.

The present invention relates to railway cars, and more in particular to the construction of heavy capacity cars of the type in which the bolster is entirely within the car body.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a bolster of novel construction for a car body and adapted towithstand and resist un-- symmetrical loading, local bending and crushing or other stresses and strains to which ,the same may be subjected.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to provide a heavy capacity railway car with an inside bolster having a central rectangular plate member placed over the center sills of the car and connecting the end portions of the bolster which were usually of truss formation. This type of bolster has not proven successful in resisting unsymmetrical loading, such as occurs when. the car body is subjected to a rocking action; during which movement the load is taken alternately on one or the other of the side bearings. The concentration of load over the relatively narrow center sills also makes it necessary to introduce a new and different structure at the central por- 25 tion of the bolster to better withstand or resist local bending and crushing.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate the objectionable features of the old type bolster construction and to provide a novel bolster structure adapted to meet all the requirements of service, yet of simple design and adapted to usual foundry methods of molding.

In. an embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, the bolster is shown as comprising a member of truss formation from end to end and having wing members extending therefrom. Cer-, tain of the struts of the truss member at its central portion are shown as terminating in a center sill bearing portion integral with the lower chord of the truss member and within the limits of the center sill, while certain of these struts diverge upwardly and are in alignment with the inner marginal portions of wing members.

The invention comprehends the idea of providing a bolster of truss formation having a plurality of diagonal struts, certain of the same being in alignment with the inner marginal pertions of wing members extending therefrom, or otherwise, and between struts of-each pair are provided substantially vertical struts terminating in side bearings provided on the bolster.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as .will be 55 more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawing and claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, which illustrates an embodiment of the device and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is a view in cross-section through a car body and disclosing in side elevation an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the car body disclosed in Figure 1 of the drawing and taken adjacent the end of the bolster disclosed therein;

Figure 3 is a view in cross-section taken in a plane represented by line 3-=3 of Figure 1 of the drawing; Y

Figure 4 is a view partly in cross-section and partly in end elevation and taken in a plane represented by line 4-4 of Figure 1 of the drawme;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view partly in cross- 7s section and partly in elevation taken in a plane represented. by line 5-5 of Figure 1 of the drawing; and

Figure 6 is a viewin cross-section'taken in a plane represented by line 6-6 of Figure 1 of the drawing.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in a car bodycomprising side plates 2' having a top flange angle 4 at theirupper edge reinforced by gusset plates 6, while the lower edge of each of these side plates is connected to a side sill comprising a bottom flange angle 8 which in turn is secured to the outer edge of a bottom plate 10 extending inwardly and terminating in overlapping relation with a center sill cover plate 12 mounted or supported upon a center sill generally designated as 14 and com prising spaced channel members 16 between which is provided. a center filler casting 18, these channel members 16 being supported upon, a plate 20 interposed between the lower flanges of these channels and a bodycenter plate 22.

The inside bolster of the present invention comprises a member 24 of truss formation having wing portions 26 and 28 extending therefrom, the member 24 and .wing portions 26 and 28 having outer flanges 30 adapted to be connected, as by means of rivets or the like, to the car body. The truss member 24 is provided with a top and 195 bottom chord 32 and 34 interconnected at its medial portion by means of a vertical strut 36. On either side of this medial strut is provided a pair of diagonal struts 38 and 40 terminating at their lower ends adjacent the lower end of the 110 vertical strut 36 and within the limits of the center sill 14, these diagonal struts diverging upwardly and terminating in the top chord 32 at a common point with the inner marginal flanges '42 of the wing members 26 and 28 and being in alignment therewith.

The truss member 24 is further constituted by g a pair of'outer. diagonal struts 44 and 46 extending downwardly and inwardly from the upper corner of the truss member 24 adjacent the wing members 26 and 28 to terminate in the lower chord 34 adjacent side bearings 48 and 50 provided on the trvss'member, respectively. Intermediate the struts 44 and 38 and 40 and 46 are provided vertical struts 52 and 54, respectively, these vertical struts having their lower ends terminating in the bottom chord 34 immediately adjacent the side bearings 48 and 50, respectively, while their upper end terminates in the top chord 32 immediately adjacent the upper ends of the diagonal struts 38 and 40. The v upper end of the diagonal struts 44 and 46 are cored, as at 56, to remove the bulk of the metal at this point and to avoid shrinkage difficulties which would otherwise result because of the uniting of a plurality of the members, as at this point.

From the hereinbefore disclosure, it will be quite apparent that the present new and novel inner bolster construction is particularly adapted to withstand and resist loadings to which the same may be subjected and that the same is simple in construction and easily and readily fabricated. The particular truss arrangement at the central portion thereof effectivelyresists unsymmetrical loadings, as well as local bending and crushing at this particular point.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to .be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown, which is merely by way ofillustra tion and not limitation, as various and other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim: v r

1. A bolster comprising a member having upwardly diverging struts at its central portion, a substantially vertical strut therebetween, and wing members extendingtherefrom.

2. A bolster comprising a member of truss formationhaving upwardly diverging struts at its central portion, a substantially vertical strut therebetween, and wing members extending therefrom.

3,;An inner bolster comprising a member of truss formation having upwardly diverging struts at its central portion, wing members extending from said truss member and having their inner marginal portions in alignment with said struts, and a substantially vertical strut between said diverging struts. a

4. In a car body construction, the combination of a center sill, an inner bolster supported thereby and comprising a substantially rectangular portion, said bolster having an inner pair of diagonal struts, an outer pair of diagonal struts, side bearings for said bolster, and vertical struts between a strut of each of said pairs, the struts of one of said pairs and said vertical struts terminating adjacent said bearings, said last-mentioned struts terminating at the upper corners of said rectangular portion.

by, said bolster having an inner pair of diagonal struts, an outer pair of diagonal struts, wing members extending from said bolster and having their inner marginal portions in alignment with said inner diagonal struts, side bearings for said bolster, and vertical struts between a strut of each of said pairs terminating adjacent said bearings.

6. In a car body construction, the combination of a center sill, an inner bolster supported thereby and comprising a substantially rectangular portion, said bolster having an inner pair of upwardly diverging struts, a vertical strut therebetween, said struts terminating in a bolster supporting portion, an outer pair of upwardly diverging struts, side bearings for said bolster, and vertical struts between a strut of each of said pairs terminating adjacent said bearings, said outer pair of struts terminating at the upper corners of said rectangular portion.

7. In a car body construction, the combination of a center sill, an inner bolster supported thereby, said bolster having an inner pair of upwardly diverging struts, a vertical strut therebetween, said struts terminating in a bolster supporting portion, an outer pair of upwardly diverging struts, wing members extending from said bolster and having their inner marginal portions in alignment with said inner diagonal struts, side bearings for said bolster, and vertical struts between a strut of each of said pairs terminating adjacent said bearings. V

8. An inside bolster for a car body, comprising a' member having a single substantially vertical strut centrally disposed, and a plurality of diagonally disposed struts at both sides thereof, one of said last-named struts oneach side of said vertical strut being disposed adjacent said vertical strut and sloping upwardly and outwardly therefrom.

9. An inside bolster for a car body, comprising a member having a substantially rectangular portion and provided with a single substantially vertical strut centrally disposed, a plurality of diagonally disposed struts at both sides thereof, said diagonally disposed struts sloping upwardly and outwardly, and substantially vertical struts between said diagonally disposed struts, certain of saiddiagonally disposed struts terminating at the upper corners of said rectangular portion.

10. An inside bolster for a car body, comprising a member having a central substantially vertical strut, a plurality of diagonally disposed struts'at both sides thereof, said diagonally disposed struts sloping upwardly and outwardly, and wing members extending from said member, said wingmembers having diagonally disposed portions substantially in alignment withcertain of said diagonal struts.

11. An inside bolster for a car body, compris ing a member having a central substantially vertical strut, a plurality of diagonally disposed struts at both sides thereof, said diagonally disposed struts sloping upwardly and outwardly, and wing members extending from said member, said wing members being in alignment with certain of said diagonally disposed struts.

12. An inside bolster for a car body, comprising a member having a central substantially vertical strut, a plurality of diagonally disposed struts at both sides thereof, said diagonally dis-,

posed struts sloping upwardly and outwardly, substantially vertical struts between said diagonally disposed struts, and wing members ex tending from said member, said wing members being in alignment with certain of said diagonalLv disposed struts.

13. An inside bolster for a car body, comprising a member of truss formation having a top and bottom chord, a substantially vertical strut extending between said chords at the central portion of said member, diagonally disposed struts extending upwardly from said lower chord and adjacent said vertical strut, and wing members extending upwardly from said top chord, said wing members being in alignment with said diagonally disposed struts. 1

14. An inside bolster for a car body, comprising a member of truss formation having a top and bottom chord, a. plurality of pairs of diagonally disposed struts, said struts extending upwardly and outwardly from said bottom chord and terminating in said top chord, substantially vertical struts extending between said chords and terminating therein adjacent adjacent struts of said pairs, and wing members each comprising a vertically disposed portion adjacent the end of said member and a diagonal portion extending inwardly therefrom and terminating in the top chord.

a member of truss formation having a top and bottom chord, a plurality of pairs of diagonally disposed struts, said struts extending upwardly and outwardly from said bottom chord and terminating in said top chord, substantially vertical struts extending between said chords and terminating therein adjacent adjacent struts of said pairs, and wing members extending upwardly from said top chord and in alignment with certain of said diagonally disposed struts.

16. In a car body construction, the combination of a center sill, an inner bolster supported thereby, said bolster having an inner pair 01 diagonal struts, an outer pair of diagonal struts, wing members extending from said bolster, said wing members forming a continuation of said inner diagonal struts and having portions in alignment therewith, side bearings for said bolster, and vertical struts between a strut of each or said pairs terminating adjacent said bearings.

17. In a car body construction, the combination of a center sill, an inner bolster supported thereby, said bolster having an inner pair of upwardly diverging struts, a. vertical strut therebetween, said struts terminating in a bolster supporting portion, an outer pair 01 upwardly diverging struts, wing members extending from said bolster, said wing members forming a continuation of said inner diagonal struts and having portions in alignment therewith, side bearings for said bolster, and vertical struts between a strut of each of said pairs terminating adjacent said bearings. I

18. In a car body construction, the comblnation of a center sill, an inner bolster supported 1 15. An inside bolsterfor a car body, comprising thereby and comprising a substantially rectangular portion, said bolster having a plurality 01 diagonal struts, side bearings for said bolster, vertical struts between said diagonal struts, said vertical struts terminating with diagonal struts WILLIAMQHEDGCOCK. -1 

